Railway brake beam



March 4, 1952 l. J. sPAr-:TH

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM Filed May l5, 1946 NvENToRz lRvlN J. SPAETH BY @w74 MAT ToRNx-:x

Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims. (Cl.18S-223.1)

The'invention relates to railway brake beams of the truss type in whichcompression and ten.

sion membersl converge near the ends of the beam and are there mountinga, brake head and are secured to each other and to the brake head. Inone familiar type of brake beam, commonly referred to as A. A. R.Standard, the head is seated on the end of a channel shaped compressionmember and the tension rod extends through the head and projects beyondthe outer side of the head and a nut is threaded on the end oi thetension member and bears against the outer side of the head, thuscompleting the truss construction. In such a beam, the center line ofthe tension member extends in a straight line to the nut on the end ofthe tension member Which transfers pressure between the tension andcompression members and the axis of the tension member intersects theaxis of the compression member outwardly of the beam beyond the centerline of brake thrust on the head. At the inner side of the head, thetension member and the compression member web are spaced aparttransversely of the beam `a distance correspending to the width of thecompression member.

i vIn another familiar type of brake beam, com-y monly referred to asthe Huntoon type, the tension member of the beam meets the web of thechannel-shaped compression member adjacent the inner` side of the headand then extends parallel `to the compression member to the end of thelatter which is engaged by a lip on the end of the tension member and asecuring device passes through the head and the compression and tensionmembers on the center line of thrust of the head. With this structure,the distance between the compression and tension members transversely ofthe beam at the inner side of the head is substantially less than in theA. A. R. type previously described, and the ultimate strength of aHuntoon type of beam composed of members of the same cross-sectionalarea would be substantially less than in the A. A. R. type of beam.

v In both types of beams, it is customary to support the beam by'ahanger which is seated in a recess providedA in the head. In the A. A.R.. 'type of beam, this recess forms an uninterrupted bearing from sideto side of the head, but I in the Huntoon type of beam, the bearing isapertured for the securing device, thus reduc- -ing the area of thehanger bearing.

A Objects of the present invention are to increase the strength of theHuntoon type of beam and to i' increase the bearing area of the hangerrecess over similar beams previously constructed.

These and other detail objects, as will appearA Figures 3, 4 and 5 aredetailed sections taken transversely of the beam on the lines 33, 4 4'and 5 5, respectively, of Figure 2. l The beam shown in the drawingsincludes a compression member I of channel-shaped crosssection, atension member 2 of rectangular crosssection, and a strut 3 intermediatethe ends ofy the beam. The end portions of the compression and tensionmembers converge, each end portion of the tension member being receivedbetween the compression member ilanges I a and engag-` ing the innerface of the compression member' web Ib. A lip 2a on the end of thetension member is seated against the end of the compression member weband iianges.

A brake head 4 is mounted on each end vof the beam and includes a bodyportion 5 and forwardly projecting toes 6 for mounting a brake shoe S. Apassage l of generally rectangular cross section extends through thehead body from side to side of the head. The ends of the tension andcompression members extend through this passage. The back wall 8 of thepassage engages the web Ib of the compression member and the top andbottom walls B of the passage engage the compression member flanges la..The front wall 3a of the passage is offset to form a pocket of lessheight than back wall 8 to receive the tension member, and preferablythe pocket walls engage the forward face and the top and bottom faces ofthe tension mem- .1 ber thereby increasing the strength of the beamsince it makes the tension and compression members work together morenearly as a unit. The outer side of the brake head, i. e., the sidenearest the end of the beam, is recessed at I0 and is provided with aboss Il. The head rear wall 8 is provided with a boss l2 facing in theopposite direction to boss Il.` Bosses Il and l2 have aligned openingsand the axis of these openings extends substantially at right angles tothe axis of the tension member between the strut and brake head anddiagonally of the center line of thrust of the brake head, as indicatedat C, extending in the direction along which the brake forces areapplied. A rivet i3 seats on bosses i i `and i 2 and passes throughtheopenings in the bosses and through the end portions of thecompression and tension members extending through the head passage 1.

Rivet i3 is placed between the end ofthe beam and the center line ofthrust of the head. This construction makes it possible to bring the rstcontact between the tension and compression members near or outsidecenter line C, thereby spacing the tension member from the compressionmember web transversely of the beam a greater'distance at the inner sideof the head than is possible in the usual Huntoon type of beam where therivet securing the brake head and the compression and tension members ispositioned on the center line of thrust ofthe brake head. The neutrallongitudinal axis oi the tension member extends more nearly in astraight line to the lip V2a than in similarly constructed beams inwhich the tension member and compression member neutral longitudinalaxes intersect each other at the center line of thrust of the beam heador inwardly of the'beam therefrom. Accordingly, the ultimate loadcarrying capacity of the brake .beam is increased and there is littletendencyV to straighten out the bend in the tension member at the head,the section modulus of the beam at its weakest .point, approximately Vonthe line M (Figure 2'),

being double 'that of the Huntoon type beam in which the tension membercontacts the comforV securing rivet i3 and the beam receiving passage 'lare in the same plane indicated by the section line 2-2 in Figure 4which corresponds to the general plane of the beam. The recessing of theouter side ofthe head as indicated 'at Il! and positioning of rivet i3as described makes it possible to continue hanger recess lli from sideto side of the head without an opening for the head mounting rivet as iscustomary. This gives a bearing for the full length of the lowercross-bar of the hanger which is desirable because it reduces wear onthe hanger and hanger recess'.

The details of the structure may be varied without departing from thespirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modicationscoming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

l. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and a.tension member with their end portions converging, a brake head mountedon and surrounding said end portions transversely of the beam, and asecuring device extending in the general plane of the beam through thehead and the beam members diagonally of the center line of thrust of thehead and positioned wholly between saidrline and adjacent end of thebeam.

2. A railway brake head having bodyy ar`v ranged to surround beamcompression and tension members and having elements for mounting a,brake shoe, the body having alignedopenings for a securing device, theaxis of said openings extending diagonally of the center line of thrustof the head and said openings being positioned wholly between said line.and the outer Vside of the head.

3. A railway brake head having a body arranged to surround beamcompression and tension members and having elements for-mounting a brakeshoe, there being a hanger receiving recess extending transversely ofythe head, and

- a recessl for a securing rivet extending from front to back diagonallyof the head with its forward end positioned-beyond the end of and spacedfrom said hanger receiving recess.`

4. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member ofchannel-shape cross section, a tension member ofY rectangular. baracross section, the end portions of said members 'converging towardseach other, a brake head having an aperture for the passage ofsaidmembers. therethrough, said aperture havingV elements at the innerside ofthe head engaging'the back,;top and bottom of said compressionmember and the; front, top and bottom of said tension member and havingelements at the outer side ofk the head engaging the back of thecompression member and the front of the tension membenanda securingdevice extending through the head and said members from frontto back andnear the outside of the head.

, 5. Inav railway truss type brake beamr-afcompression member and atension member with their end portions converging, va brake headj Ymounted on said end portions, and axsecuring device extending throughthe head and said members in the general plane of the beam as; dened bysaid members, the head having a hanger receiving recess disposed in saidplane. the hanger engaging surface of which `iscon-v tinuous from sideto side of the headv Aand the adjacent end of the securing deviceiispositioned substantially between the outer end of said sur-f face andthe outer end of the beam tension member,

6. A railway brake head having a through passage to receive the endportions of-converging beam compression and tension members', saidpassage being relativelv shallow at one side of the' head forsurrounding contiguous compression and tension member endportions'andjrelatively deep at the other side of the headforsurrounding spaced apart compression and tension member end portions,there being bearings at front and rear of the body for theends bf` adevioe for securing the head to beam compression and tension members,said bearings being. positioned wholly between the center line ofythrust of the head and the side ofthe head adjacent the shallow part ofsaid passage, and having a common axis disposed diagonally of the centerline of thrust oi the head.

7. A railway brake head having a bod'yarranged to surround beamcompression and tension members and including webs for engaging the backand front faces of the end portions' of the beam and having elements formounting a brake shoe, the body webs having aligned open-- ings for asecuring device, the axis rof said openings extending from'front to backof the bo'dy head.

8. A railway brake head having a body arranged to surround beamcompression and tension members and having spaced parts for engaging theback and front faces of the beam and for mounting a brake shoe, the bodyhaving a central recess extending transversely of the head for receivinga hanger, and the body having an opening extending from front to back ofthe head through said parts for a member and head securing rivet, theaxisv of said opening being spaced from said recess.

9. A railway brak head as described in claim 8 in which the bodyincludes a passage from side to side of the head, for receiving beamcompression and tension members, and said passage and securing rivetopening and hanger recess lie in the same general plane, and said hangerrecess forms a hanger bearing continuous from` end to end of saidrecess.

10. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their end portions converging, a brake head mountedon said end portions, the front of said head having a hanger receivingrecess in the general plane of the beam, and an elongated securingdevice extending through the head and said members parallel to thegeneral plane of the beam as dened by said members and being positionedwith its axis spaced from said recess and so arranged as to avoidintersection with said recess.

ll. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their end portions converging, a brake head mountedon said end portions, and a securing device extending through the headand beam members diagonally of the center line of thrust of the head.

l2. In a railway trust type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their end portions converging, a brake head mountedon and surrounding said end portions, and a securing device extending inthe general plane of the beam through said head and said members andprojecting through the side of the head near the adjacent end of thebeam.

13. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their axes converging, a brake head mounted lar barsection tension member having their end portions converging, a brakehead mounted on said end portions, the 'tension member end portion beingreceived between the compression member anges and engaging the forwardface of the compression member web, the axes of said tension member andsaid compression member meeting one another outwardly of the line ofthrust of the brake head, and a fastening device extending in thegeneral plane of the beam through said brake head and said memberssubstantially at right angles to the axis of the tension member.

15. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their end portions converging, an end member nearthe end of the beam mounted on and surrounding the corresponding endportions of said tension and compression members transversely of thebeam, and a securing device extending in the general plane of the beamthrough all of said members diagonally of the center line of thrust fromthe compression and tension members to the end member as the brakes areapplied, said securing device being positioned wholly between said lineof thrust and the adjacent end of the beam.

16. An end member f or a railway truss type brake beam, said memberhaving a body with a passage arranged to receive the end portions ofbeam compression and tension members and having aligned openings nearone of said passages for a securing device, the axis of said openingsextending diagonally of the axis of said passage and said openings beingpositioned wholly between the middle of said passage and said end ofsaid passage.

IRVIN J. SPAETH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 823,601 Huntoon June 19, 1906884,446 Williams, Jr. Apr. 14, 1908 949,892 Harrison Feb. 22, 1910955,239 Williams, Jr. Apr. 19, 1910 990,938 Williams, Jr. May 2, 19111,073,220 Crone Sept. 16, 1913 1,634,995 Huntoon July 5, 1927 2,116,594Busch May 10, 1938 2,356,720 Aurien et al. Aug. 22, 1944 2,391,329Moline Dec. 18, 1945

